Influence of Gratitude, Humility and Meaning in Life on Mental Health of College Students in Uttar Pradesh, India: A Questionnaire Case Study

Abstract

This study investigates the predictive influence of gratitude and humility on mental health, with meaning in life serving as a mediating variable among college students. A sample of 210 undergraduate students participated in the research, completing self-report standardized measures of gratitude, humility, meaning in life, and mental health. Using correlation and mediation analyses through a structural equation model, the findings revealed significant positive direct and indirect relationships between the variables. Both gratitude and humility showed strong direct associations with improved mental health outcomes. Additionally, meaning in life was found to fully mediate the relationship between humility and mental health, and partially mediate the relationship between gratitude and mental health. This suggests that gratitude and humility enhance an individual’s sense of life meaning, which in turn contributes to better mental health. The results highlight the interconnected roles of character strengths and existential meaning in promoting psychological well-being among college students. These findings provide empirical evidence in favour of positive psychology theories and point towards aspects that may be taken into consideration in order to enhance college students' mental health and sense of meaning in life.